


The Short Night

by fearleim



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:00:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26978485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fearleim/pseuds/fearleim
Summary: The relationship between Batman and The Joker is reimagined.
Kudos: 1





	The Short Night

Mr Wayne massaged his forehead with the stumps he called fingers. It felt like there was a rope around his skull, tightening and tightening. A grey flip-phone convulsed on the sparse desk before him. He picked it up.

‘Fleck,’ he said.

‘Mr Wayne,’ said Jack Fleck. ‘Sir, I’m having, uh--’

‘What?’ said Wayne. ‘You are having … _what_ , exactly?’

‘Misgivings sir,’ he said. ‘Misgivings.’

Wayne clenched his fingers into a claw. He took the phone away from the side of his face, and, without flipping it closed, chucked it at Alfred; the butler caught the flying object with grace.

Wayne shouted at one of his interns to fetch his laptop; when she placed it on his desk, he ordered her to get him a cup of coffee as well. When she returned with the coffee, he shouted at her again, this time for causing his head to hurt with all the shouting.

A red plastic cup beside the laptop, he logged into Wayne-Inc-Family-Messaging-Site. He grimaced when he pressed _R_ at the same time as _E_. Someone he had known had shared a post about some political situation in some place; Selina did not talk to him anymore. He closed the laptop, more forcefully than intended. He stood up.

‘Ready for the performance?’ said Alfred.

Mr Wayne nodded.

* * *

  
Feet shoulder width apart and arms by his side, Mr Wayne relaxed his shoulders. He adjusted his marine skin-suit and the black briefs on top: it still chafed. Beside him, shaking his arms, Jack was jumping up and down, the knots of green hair on his head swaying. Over an off-white shirt, Jack wore a purple jacket with leather patches on the elbows. He carried a doll that mimicked the likeness of a baby.

The elevator dinged; the doors opened. Jack raced out, he loped across the roof of a building eleven stories high. The starless sky glowed orange and yellow. Jack only stopped when the barrier made him. Leaning his head over the edge, he whistled a tuneless whistle. A throng of journalists were congregated at the foot of the building; they peered upwards through their cameras. Jack started to cough and choke. His head craned over the journalists, a glob of phlegm slimed out of his mouth and plummeted downwards. 

Jack turned around, glaring at Mr Wayne. ‘I am an agent,’ he said. ‘An agent of--’ his eyes widened ‘-- _chaos_.’ He held the baby above his head. His arms shook. ‘You don’t believe me,’ he said. ‘You should.’

Mr Wayne spotted someone standing on the roof of a different building. They were dressed in black, a camera hung around their neck. ‘Cat got your tongue?’ said Jack.

‘No,’ said Wayne, monotone, ‘I will--’ he paused ‘--stop your--’

The Joker mouthed the word _how_.

Wayne harrumphed and turned around.

‘Bruce,’ said Jack. He dropped the doll, it fell off the edge of the roof.

‘Embargo,’ said Mr Wayne. ‘Media embargo tomorrow.’ Alfred stood at the elevator, ready to escort them away.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm new to html and posting stories on the internet, so if you think I should change the formatting or tags please let me know.


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